Method of and apparatus for aligning conveyer chains



Aug. 26, 1952 H, TALBOT 2,608,288

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING CONVEYER CHAINS Filed May 2'7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Howeo /i $745071 H 7' TOR/VET Aug. 26, 1952 H. H. TALBOT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING CONVEYER CHAINS Filed May 27, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR ffowfito A" 15L5 7 TTORNEY H H TALBOT 2,608,288

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING CONVEYER CHAINS Filed May 27, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Hawna 721.507: /XM m 9 his a 7' TOP/V5 7 Aug. 26, 195 2 Aug. 26, 1952 H. H. TALBOT 2,603,283

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING CONVEYER CHAINS Filed May 27, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. fi/ocdq xeo 7 1L507? BY W- Patented Aug. 26 1952 ummus iooNvErER a iilowardtllwflalbot, Pittsbur h. Pa, 'assi nor to v United Engineerin I it Eoundry 30mran l ttsbuts tliar, a 51011101381911 to: kennsylvania f 'ApplicatinnMay "27, 1950, serial No. 1643196 I This invention relates to a method .oifiand apparatus :for aligning transversely spaced conveyor chains and, in particular, to timing dip the dogs 01 the chains of a cooling or transfer hed espe- ':cia11y .when,due to. unequal wear of the dogs or link joining members, oneior mcr'evof :the :chains "may become slightly elongated with respect :to

'someor the others.

It has ebeen the experience :that 'vvithont proriding-an adequate means (tor compensating for Izthe misalignment which takes 21313.66 relative to the transverse positions of the .conveyonchain dogs, caused by unequal lengthening :or stretching s of :the chain, the :bi-llets or rods which are carried thereby will possihlyl'be scented, as they are moved along, and thereby cause such round billets to troll diagonally acrossfthe :bed instead of :in the desired straight course. i

IItls one of thercbdects-of this invention, there.- rore, to provide apparatus by which aunequal lengthening of conveyor chains mar/"be compen sated for and alignment thereoi maintained at all times.

Another object wot this invention is to provide readily adjustable :BOIWBYOI chains for coolin or transfer beds'and :the like which are adapted to be quickly adjusted inworder :to correct for-amisalignment thereof caused by unequal lengthening and wear of the link joining-members.

' Still another object of this invention "is to pro- "vide conveyor chain aligning, apparatos, integral with the conveyor tables, which is: simple of operation and economical to service and maintain.

Another obj act :01 this inventlon'is to provide a method of adjusting conveyorichains havinglslophing members or .dogs spaced therealong whereby the :dogs are readily brought into such relation- :ship with-respect to the others that alignment of the points oflrcontact with :the billet urged :for-

ward rthere'by will be insured.

These objects, as well :as :the various other novel Jeatures :and advantages of :this invention, will i t Figure :is :an enlarged sectional :view .of "the chain adjusting mechanism at the entry end of theconveyor, i v

flame :isianenlargedtsectionalwiew of the conveyor chains 15.

' 'zzo'lsims. (o1. rus -17.3)

chain adjusting mechanismatthe dischar e end ofthe conveyor,-and

Figure 5 is an enlarged viewof a portiomotunequally lengthened conveyor Lchains showing the dogs thereof in their readjusted in-li-ne relationship.

With reference to Figures 1, la and 2, the billet cooling bed embodying the features of this vention includes a supporting frame structure consisting :of a plurality of base members ll upon which are positioned aplu-rality of vertical channels I2 secured together by crossmembers 13.

At the top of the-framework andsecured :theneto there are five adjustable troughs 14 within of which isguided acontinuous chain IS p ur lity of dogs Iii spaced therealong. Be-

neath each of the troughs M, there is afiixed to the framework a stationary trough 11, extending for a considerable portion of :the length of the bed, for guiding the chain onits returnzpath. At the entry end or the cooling bed thereismounted, on a common shaft 18, a plurality of idler sprockets I9 which mesh with the links oflthe Intermediate the troughs there is a plurality of fixed skids or rail .20 upon which the zbillets or rods are supported in *their movement along the bed. For driving the 400E1- veyor chains, there is provided, at the'delivery end of the :table, a plurality of similar sprockets '21 mounted upon a shaft z-l' which is drivensby a suitable motor and gear reductiomun-i tfl connected thereto. i

It will *be noted in Figure 22 that each of the troughs M is divided into three main sections, '24 consisting of portions 21a and 12%, :25, and :26 consisting of portions 16a and 26b. The icentral or stationary section 25 is pinned atits ends and remains in its initial fixed position. whel'wfront section 24, however, is pivotally l securedsat lts inner end by a pin 2 sothat it maybe raised relative to the supporting frame, therebs carry- :ing "with it the chain which passes therethrough. Beneath each of :the sections 24 and rotatably secured in suitable (bearings attached to the conweyor frarne, there is a shaft 28 the outer end of which is keyed a chain wheel '29 over which passes a continuous manuallywoperated chain J1. The shaft 28 passes into and drives a planetary gear reduction unit 32 having'iextending from the oppositeiside'thereof a rdriven shaft fl.

The driven shaft is supported in suitable *bearings and provided with a floating coupling '84 at the outer lend thereof. :Securedto the :floe'ting coupling there'is .a short shat-t 35 rotatably sup- -ponted-in suitable bearings :36 securedto a :beam

1 beam 31. into the free end of the rod 59 and is rounded 45 is pivotally secured. At the free end of the lever a socket 46 is provided within which the.

rounded end of the adjustable screw 43 is received. A pad 4'l'extends from the upper portion of the lever 45 and engages with a. member 48 which is secured to the endof the pivotal por tion 2400 having extending therefroma plate 43 through the outer end of which is passed a pin for securing together the chain trough portions 24a and 24b. r A second floating coupling 52 secured to the short shaft 35 and to one end of a shaft 53 which 1 is-also; by means-of a floating coupling 54, coupled tov a short shaft 55. The shaft 55 is rotatably secured inbearings 56 aflixed to the end of thebeam 31. The shaft 55 is provided with an eccentric 51 which is received within a bearing 58 at the bottom of a connecting rod 59 which is free to reciprocate within an opening 6! in the An adjustable screw 62 is threaded at the outer end thereof. To a bracket 63 afiixed to the framework a lever 64 is pivotally secured.

chain which stretches unequally with respect to the others is adjusted by raising the trough portion through which it passes. The lengthening 'of the chain is progressive so that the adjustment embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced Outward of the pivotal point of the lever a socket 65 is provided within which the rounded end of .the adjustable screw 62 is received. A pad '66 extends from the end and upper portion of the lever 64 and engages with a member 6! which is secured near the end of the chain trou h portion 24b.

A I In order to insure that the movable trough portions will rise substantially to the same angle of .inclination, lever 64 is longer than lever 45 since it is farther away from the main pivotal point of the trough 24. V a

' The chain trough section 28, consisting of two hinged portions 26a and 26b, pivots generally about the end of the stationary trough portion 25 and is provided with a trough raising and lowering mechanism which is similar to that'employed for adjusting the trough portion 24, the numerals applied to the elements thereof being the same except with the letter a? added thereto. In this instance, the longer lever of the two is positioned near the driven sprocket end of the trough portion 262) inasmuch as that end must be moved 7 through a greater are to attain the same angle of jinclination as that of the portion 26a.

1 In accordance with Figure 5, each of'the chains consists of a plurality of triangular dogs l5 which .are secured together by a plurality of links 68 pivotally'attached thereto. When the chains are installed, the chain troughs are all in their lowermost in-line horizontal positions and the dogs of the chains lined up laterally across the bed.

-When the chains are in use fOr some time unequal stretching thereof occurs, so that the billets,

or rods,'being transferred across the bed, will not make positive contact with the inclined surfaces of all of the transversely spaced dogs of a 'group,. possibly causing the workpieces to be thrown out of their right angle positions with respect to the chains. In order'to compensate for unequal stretch of the chains, and to present a surface of the dog with which contact will be made for insuring that the billets or rods'will ,be maintained at right angles to the chains, the

otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for transversely realigning the workpiece engaging portions of a plurality of laterally spaced driven conveyor chains, substantially horizontally disposed guide means through which each of said chains passes, fixed workpiece supporting means adjacent said chain guide means and means adjacent to and, adapted to adjust substantially vertically at least a portion of said guide means whereby transversely misaligned workpiece engaging portions of said chains are realigned. r v

2'. In apparatus for transversely realigning the workpiece engaging portions of a plurality'of laterally spaced driven conveyor chains, separate substantially horizontally disposed guide means for each of said chains, fixed workpiece supporting means adjacent said chain guide means and separatemeans adjacentto and adapted to adjust substantially vertically each of said guide means whereby transversely misaligned workpiece engaging portions of'said chains are realigned.

3. In apparatus for transversely realigning the workpiece engaging portions of a plurality of laterally spaced; driven conveyor chains, a base, substantially horizontally disposed chain guides pivotally secured to said base, fixed workpiece supporting means adjacent said chain guides, means adjacent 'toand adapted to adjust substantially vertically each of said guides whereby transversely misaligned workpiece engaging portions of saidchains are realigned. r 4. In apparatus for transversely realigning plurality of laterally spaced driven conveyor base, chain guides pivotally secured to said base,

fixed workpiece supportin means adjacent said chain guides, means adjacent to and adapted to adjust vertically each of said guides and chains 'whereby transversely misaligned workpiece enmeans for simultaneously adjusting said support ing means of a particular guide whereby transversely misaligned workpiece engaging projections ofthe chain carried thereby are realigned.

6. In apparatus for transversely realigning a plurality of laterally spaced driven conveyor chains each provided with a plurality of outwardly extending workpiece engaging triangular projections, a base, chain guides pivotally secured to said base, fixed workpiece supporting means adjacent said chain guides, vertically adjustable supportin means spaced along each of said guides and means for simultaneously adjusting said supporting means of a particular guide whereby a portion of the inclined edges of said projections are placed in transverse alignment with corresponding edges of similar projections 01. chains spaced laterally therefrom.

7. A method of realigning transversely the workpiece engaging elements of unequally lengthened conveyer chains supported in substantially horizontally disposed guides and having inclined workpiece pusher elements for transferring a plu- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 450,360 Aiken Apr. 14, 1891 1,106,171 Wangness Aug. 4, 1914 1,481,152 Rehbein Jan. 15, 1924 1,913,001 Ross June 6, 1933 

